We love questions about recycled crafting. They really make you put on your thinking cap! This one comes to us from reader Launna, who e-mailed us to get some ideas. She says:
I have several empty Play-Doh containers. What could I make with them instead of taking them to the trash? I have seen the recycled Play-Doh container wreath, but what else can I or we make with these?
Have you made anything out of old Play-Doh containers? If you had a collection of them, what would you do with them?
[photo by Flicker user GIANTsqurl; Creative Commons]
14 Comments
Lisa
I had a play-doh birthday party for my 2 yr old. I made a cake out of play-doh and decorated it in play-doh that he got to bow out his candles. (served real cupcakes to eat). Had a ton of play-doh and play-doh toys for the party activities. Gave small containers of play-doh along with plastic wear for party favors. I used old play-doh containers, washed really well, to serve individual servings of ice cream.
Amy
I would remove/replace the labels and turn them in a tower for storing small and easily lost craft supples– tapestry needles, tiny scissors, stickers, nails, screw, beads, and ribbon are few that come to mind as always being fiddly to find a storage place for with out loosing.
You can glue the top of each container to the bottom of th one that will be stacked on top of it. Adding you own custom labels would make a beautiful and space effective storage for fiddly craft supplies.
KJ@letsgoflyakite
If you have 24 of them you could make a neat Advent calendar. Stack them in the shape of a tree with a treat inside!
Judy
Wash them out really well, then use to put in mini-muffins or mini-cupcakes! We use frosting containers for bigger muffins. Not only does it keep the muffin moist, we can literally toss it into a lunch bag without worrying it’ll get smashed!
Heather
I took off the labels and drew “lego guy” faces on them with a sharpie and used them as crayon cups to go with lego coloring pages I had out at my son’s lego birthday party. We still use them now!
buggal1989
I love the idea of using them to store stuff.
I would try to find a cubby hole shelf and the store them on their sides so that the top showed. I would color code the embellishments stored inside – like say blue for buttons and yellow for rhinestones or if you use your embellishments by color scheme you could put all the blue buttons, blue rhinestones, blue beads, and etc. in the blue lidded containers and the yellow in the yellow and so on. You can then use a permanent marker to label both the lid and the container.
You can also use the containers as paint cups. You can cut a circle from a sheet magnet and then glue it to the bottom of the container. Other cups can be used to pour paint in so that it would be easy for small children to put the brush in the paint (Hey, I might do this for me!) and if they don’t finish the project you can cap and store the leftover paint to the next session. Stick the cup to a cookie sheet or muffin tin and they are dump resistant!
You can glue them together with a cool melt glue gun into rows. The second row with nestle into the space between 2 containers. Then turn them on their side – you can glue them to a wooden base for extra stability. Then store things in them that are short and long – glue sticks, wooden ice cream spoons, etc. You will then have lots of lids leftover to craft with!
One thing you can make is Cookie Tray With “Cookies” ornament for the Christmas tree. See my guide on making one (I used a rectangular lid for a cookie sheet and Mason jar lids & Pringle’s lids to make trays).
http://buggalcrafts.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/cookie-cutters-not-just-for-cookies-anymore-post-6-gingerbread-cookies-on-copper-cookie-sheet/
I also have glued beads in lids and used them as coasters.
Cut a photo with a circle cutter and glue it in the lids. The glue trim (lace rick rack, etc.) around the rim. Glue a ribbon on the back and you have an ornament. Or glue 3 of them to a wide (3 inch) ribbon, loop the ribbon through a wooden curtain ting and glue edge to the back of the ribbon. You then have a series of photo frames.
Good Luck and let us know what you make.
Angelique
I am thinking a hanging lamp pendant such as this https://dollarstorecrafts.com/2011/06/make-a-yogurt-cup-lamp/ or this http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/inspiration/look-diy-plastic-cup-lampshade-042997 . Of course, remove the labels first.
Jaime
I love the ideas of the crayon holder and the beaded coaster. If you have the really small containers you could use them for travel jewelry holders. I think they could hold a ring, a pair of small earrings, and maybe even a small bracelet. The paint cup idea is great too.
I was thinking these containers might be used for homemade candles, but I’m not sure if the containers would melt. Maybe they could be used for just a candle mold, if you could get the candle to slide out after the wax cools.
Heidi
I had a bunch of the little ones from a Valentine’s package and used the lids for paint for my kids. One color per lid.
Devon
What about used pill bottles? I have an elderly relative who is on lots of medication and ends up with lots of leftover empty prescription bottles. I just know there is some crafty purpose for these so I have been removing and shredding the labels and saving them in a plastic bag in the closet. Anyone have any ideas?
Tina
This isn’t exactly a craft for the containers themselves, but how about making your own play-dough and storing it in your original play-dough containers? That way, you won’t end up with more containers and you use up your other ones as well.
Or you could cover it in decorative paper and store pencils and what not in it.
Maybe you could slice up the container into rings and decorate each ring and voila, a bracelet! Not sure how big they are, but it could be for either adults or kids depending on size.
Wanda
@Devon, There are many uses for prescription bottles. Use them to store buttons, jewelry beads, findings, chalk. Pour paint into them for your smaller DIY projects, so when you are finished just drop entire bottle in trash. I’m sure someone will have other ideas to use them for. I save them also!
Jean Bernth
I too save pill bottles, but need some crafty ideas to make them into something useful. I use them all the time to store small items like safety pins, needles, push pins, fingernail tips, etc. Also, when coming to the end of lotion bottles or tubes, I drain the lotion into a pill bottle. Great for travel, and uses up every last drop!!
ann
I like the ideas mentioned. I also was thinking they would make cute little banks if a slit was cut in the lid. Or maybe Maracas if you sealed the lid shut!